8 Ancient Magic

Chapter 8 ANCIENT MAGIC Jack held his breath. "No problem," said Annie. She knelt beside Cria and looked into her eyes. The baby llama fluttered her long eyelashes. "What do you want to do, Cria?" Annie asked her. Then Annie put her ear close to Cria's mouth. She nodded as if the llama were whispering back to her.

Oh, no! He'll never fall for that, Jack thought. Annie looked up at the emperor. "She says she would like to go home." The emperor scowled. Then he broke into laughter. "I see, you are playing a children's game," he said. "You and your brother must leave now. I will keep the llama." "Oh… wait, please," said Annie. "I'll tell her to talk louder." "Annie—" said Jack. "Shh," she said. She whispered again in Cria's ear. Then she

stared for a long moment into the huge eyes of the baby llama. Cria stared back at Annie with an alert gaze. Then the baby llama began to speak. "TOPA," Cria said in a tiny voice. "GO BACK TO TOPA." Jack couldn't believe it! He laughed out loud. How did Annie do that? How did Cria speak? The emperor gasped and stared in amazement at the small silver llama. A hush came over the crowd. The guards and the people in the plaza watched with wonder. "TOPA," Cria said again. "GO BACK TO TOPA." "Hear that?" said Annie. "Topa is the boy who cares for her. She wants to go back to him. You heard her, right?" Annie turned back to Cria. "Say it again. Say it louder." "GO BACK TO TOPA NOW!" Cria said

clearly and loudly. The emperor looked stunned. Then his face softened. "I understand she loves the boy," he said. "Her great feelings for him gave her the power of speech." "Right," said Annie. "And Topa loves her, too. She is his whole world." Emperor Pachacuti nodded. "You must take her back to him," he said. "Really?" said Jack. "Yes." The emperor looked around at his guards and the people watching. "The miracle llama has spoken. Her wishes must be honored." "Thank you!" said Jack and Annie. "Come, Cria. Let's go home to Topa," said Annie. The baby llama took halting steps. The crowd silently parted to let Jack, Annie, and Cria pass.

Jack looked straight ahead. He didn't dare glance back. He was afraid the emperor might change his mind. "Can't take her through the forest," Jack said quietly to Annie. "Go the way she came up, the Old Trail. It was marked on the map." "Got it," Annie whispered. "That way. Through the arch," said Jack. "Walk faster." Jack and Annie walked faster. The silver llama took springy little steps beside them. She seemed to know she was going home. Jack led the way to the stone arch. Guards stood on either side. They stared in awe at Cria as she pranced through. On the other side of the arch, a rocky path led through the brush. Starting down the trail, Jack breathed more calmly. "How did she do that?" he asked. "How did you make her talk? What happened?"

"I remembered our rhyme," said Annie, "and the words in the book about old legends that said llamas could speak. I believed it could be true. And Cria believed it, too. And she talked! Simple!" "Not simple," said Jack with a grin. "Impossible!" Annie, Jack, and Cria moved quickly down the winding trail. When they rounded a corner, Jack gasped and stopped. They could see the long path ahead. The trail ran along the very edge of the mountain. Far below, the river raged between Old Mountain and Young Mountain. "Oh, no," Jack said. "The trail looks just as dangerous as the bridge!" "It's okay," Annie said. "We got this. Just remember, don't look down." Jack forced himself to look away from the steep drop-off. "Okay," he said. "We have to